Real estate developer Mike Jenkins was recently accosted by a neighbour in an Ohio community who questioned whether he actually lived in his own house with the video of Michelle Bishop now viral
The security camera of Mike Jenkins captured the entire incident, which went viral and sparked a larger discussion about racial profiling. The incident which took place on 19 November, 2024 started when a woman later identified as Michelle Bishop was jogging with her two small children.
Who is Michelle Bishop as ring video of her racially profiling real estate developer Mike Jenkinsin Ohio goes viral on Instagram
She lied and said he chased her and her kids. Didn’t believe he lived in his own house (affluent neighborhood). Went running down the street screaming for help. She could’ve gotten him killed. pic.twitter.com/NUwhFMeUHJ
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) January 19, 2025
Michelle Bishop and her kids ran toward the closest house, which turned out to be Mike Jenkins’, feeling nervous as a car swooped down on them. Bishop said, “I don’t believe that,” before she and her kids left when real estate developer Jenkins showed up and claimed to be the homeowner.
Bishop received harsh criticism online when the encounter’s footage went public, with many people accusing her of racial profiling. She responded by releasing a statement in which she denied having any racist intentions and insisted that her only worry was for the safety of her kids. Bishop made it clear as she went live on Facebook after the video went viral that she was unable to see Jenkins’ race in the low light and said she had apologized to her neighbours for the incident.
“I will not apologize for making any sort of racist remark. I’m the furthest thing from a racist,” Bishop said.
However, she added, “I will however apologize that my expression could ever come across in such a way that somebody could think that about myself and my family.”
Michelle Bishop further reminded the viewers by saying, “Remember it’s dark, the street is not lit well.”
Mike Jenkins expressed his thoughts on the incident on Instagram, highlighting his composure throughout the interaction. He took delight in managing the situation with poise, pointing out that it would have been simple to lose his temper, but he remained composed instead.
The difficulties of residing in a neighbourhood that is predominately white have been brought to light by this incident, highlighting the necessity of increased community awareness and empathy. It acts as a reminder that encouraging empathy and candid communication can help stop future occurrences of the same kind.
When we told white people get training on implicit bias, it was to prevent the EXACT situation that Michelle Bishop created for herself.
Literally all she had to do was APOLOGIZE BECAUSE SHE WAS IN THE WRONG and wait it out. But nah, she chose to cry on Facebook instead. pic.twitter.com/rCueFBdSKm
— God’s Bête Noire (it’s mutual) (@AvonBelltower) January 19, 2025